Solar Blogs
Based on our experience and learning from solar rooftop in India, we are here to share the knowledge. These solar blogs have been crafted to make it easy for anyone exploring options of installing solar. Rooftop solar plants are of two types: On-Grid and Battery based. Let us dive deep into the solar world.
Sweeping Success: The Power of Maintenance and Cleaning in Solar Panel Generation/Performance
On 24/02/2024, EcoSoch's Solarcare team carried out its routine panel cleaning of one of our installations at Brigade Altamont. The capacity of the system [...]
Apartment Rooftop Solar: Solutions & Subsidy Opportunities in Bangalore
Why should Apartments go for Rooftop Solar? Cost Savings: Rooftop solar installations can significantly reduce the common area electricity bills for apartment [...]
Solar rooftop subsidy scheme from Central Govt for residential consumers
About the Solar subsidy scheme - The Central Govt. has launched the PM – Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana through which residential customers (Individual [...]
BESCOM online services down for 10 days
BESCOM services disrupted - During the period of March 10 to 19, Bescom's online services will experience a temporary disruption lasting 10 days due to [...]
Voltage Fluctuations Begone! Experience Stable Power with Servo Stabilizer for Your Residence.
The Servo Controlled Voltage Stabilizer (5kVA) is a precision-designed voltage regulation solution that ensures stable and reliable power supply for sensitive electronic equipment. With [...]
Pre-Charge Resistors: Essential for Dependable and Safe Battery Operation
Precautions to take before connecting Inverter to Battery When you are connecting any Inverter to the Battery (thru the fuse), you would have noticed [...]
BESCOM SRTPV Policy for FY-23/24
BESCOM SRTPV Policy for FY-23/24 BESCOM has released the policy for Grid connected Solar Rooftop Photo Voltaic plants (SRTPV) for the fiscal year 2023-24. [...]
SPD – Working, Construction and Which voltage to select (280V or 320V)?
Contributed by: Suraj Kumar HS 280V Vs 320V AC SPD Introduction Surge Protection Devices (SPDs) are devices that are used to protect electrical equipment [...]
Need for AC earth pits in solar installations?
For solar rooftop installations, it's often unnecessary to install new AC earth pits. Existing AC earth pits, if designed properly to handle fault current, are [...]
Acceptable variation in Tilt angle of solar panels at a site
In certain cases, there would be a variation in the tilt angle of solar panels at a single site itself due to unevenness of the [...]
Inverter Clipping Losses – SolarEdge
We get questions from clients about oversizing of inverters and why we are connecting more panels to an inverter - like connecting 33 kWp of [...]
Can DC, AC and LA earth pits be connected together?
Technically Yes. All earthing pits should be bonded together so that there is equipotential bonding amongst them thus preventing back-feed from earth. However, some [...]
Earthing practices at EcoSoch
With highly sensitive electrical and electronic components in solar installations, the need for protection of these costly equipment against fault and lightning current is [...]
KERC Revises Electricity bills For FY2021-22
KARNATAKA ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has revised the electricity bills for the Financial Year (FY) 2021-22 across the Karnataka State [...]
UPVC Conduits Vs Pre-GI Cable Trays for Outdoor Use
At EcoSoch, we use UPVC conduits on the rooftop for a reason whether it be residential, apartment, commercial, industrial or institutional projects as shown [...]
Safety Aspects
The Installation team shall provide a safe and healthy workplace for all persons. This shall be achieved in conjunction with effective implementation of EcoSoch’s [...]
Quality Assurance
Quality Control Plan EcoSoch is of the firm belief that Quality Assurance (QA) must be ingrained within the DNA of [...]
Our Process
Going solar is a big decision for you and your family/business. At EcoSoch, we’re committed to helping our customers through the process. We’ll be [...]
DC and AC voltage drop – Standards
DC Voltage Drop For Solar PV installations, the standard to follow would be from Australia called AS/NZS 5033:2014. It states, "For LV PV arrays [...]
Corrosion in Pre-GI and Hot Dip Galvanized (HDG) Structures
Please have a read of the below article from Nuevosol which talks about corrosion in Pre-GI and Hot Dip Galvanised (HDG) Structures. Salient points [...]
CAT6 and RS485 cables for communication
Basics A CAT6 cable can theoretically carry data for 100m but after 80m, there would be signal attenuation and it would be impractical. So [...]
Can DC and AC cables run in the same conduit?
We have been asked a few times in the recent past as to whether we can run DC and AC cables run in the same [...]
Solar Generation in Bangalore
Solar Installation at Rainbow Drive Villa Community, Bangalore | India Solar Plant [...]
Inspection using thermal camera
A lot of time, effort and money can be save if one has the right tool in hand. One such useful device is the [...]
How panel level monitoring has helped…
We will have a look at a couple of our sites where we have installed solar panels with SolarEdge systems and how module level [...]
Materials matter…
The life of a solar plant can be 25 years or more but how do we ensure it? We have seen many installations where [...]
Charging lead acids properly
Charging of lead acid batteries is not an oft-spoken or documented topic. So here I would like to describe how to charge lead acids [...]
MCB – Types, Working and Trip Curves
MCB or Miniature Circuit Breaker is an electromechanical device which protects an electric circuit from an overcurrent. The overcurrent in an electrical circuit may result from short circuit, overload [...]
Optimum tilt angle for fixed panels
Solar panels generate the maximum output when the sun-light falls perpendicular on the panels. However to achieve the ideal harvest of solar energy, you [...]
Solar Window Period
Overview Almost in all meetings, we have noticed that clients require clarification on the placement and orientation of panels. Particularly, clients have pointed out [...]
Understanding C-rate
Let’s get the basics right for C rate.If someone says to you that they are supplying a 100Ah battery, then it has no meaning. It [...]
Criteria for sizing battery banks
Solar Battery: Design it right. In solar applications, a lengthy charge time is not desirable since we only have a maximum of 4-6 hours [...]
Understanding Battery Voltage and SoC
The reason there’s not a simple relationship between battery voltage and state of charge is that your solar system is constantly doing different stuff [...]
50% Depth of Discharge for Lead Acid Battery
"Lead acid batteries should be discharged only by 50% to increase its life" - is an oft used phrase. This means that we should [...]
Financial Viability Check: Rooftop Solar for Apartments in Bangalore
Is it financially viable in the long run? In the financial year of 2019-20, the number of apartment associations looking [...]
Lithium Ion batteries are cheaper than Lead Acid.
Lithium Ion versus Lead Acid batteries In this blog, we will bust the myth that lead-acid batteries are cheaper than lithium ion batteries armed [...]
Inspection of Solar Rooftop Plant by Solar Care
Introduction: Solar plant inspection is absolutely necessary once the system is install. It is generally advise to have the system check before plant is [...]
Solar Rooftop Business Post Lockdown : A Vewpoint
Current Situation: With the non-essential services shut down during the pandemic times, I had been thinking hard. How the impact would be on solar [...]
Project Management and Installation by EcoSoch Solar.
Ever wondered, How a Solar company manages and handels a project? How are they effectively able to install a power plant on your rooftop? [...]
Confused on how to apply for a Solar Rooftop plant?
Solar panels installed on top of an Apartment by EcoSoch Solar. Well, we are here to make it easy for you with [...]
Peukert’s Law and Lead Acid Batteries
Peukert’s Law and Lead Acid Batteries Note: This blog is for battery enthusiasts. To understand peukert's law and with an intermediate knowledge about batteries [...]
Why Aluminium makes sense as a structure for rooftop…
Why Aluminium makes sense as a rooftop structure for solar plant ? Rooftop Structure: Recently we visited a factory in Tamilnadu where a [...]
Case Study – Resolving rodent issue | Agriculture + PV
In 2017, EcoSoch commissioned a 3.7kWp off-grid project using a Studer inverter with Waaree Solar Panels for our customer at Anekal in the outskirts [...]
Case Study – Apartment makes money from Solar | Reduce BESCOM bill
On 25/08/2018, EcoSoch commissioned one of its first apartment project for Hemalatha Heights at Bangalore. As part of this case study, we would be [...]
Case Study – Net Metering Vs Gross Metering
Case Study for a Factory Let’s say, your factory consumes 100 units every day between the peak hours of 10 AM to 11AM [...]
Expected changes in Solar Policy by KERC & BESCOM in Karnataka
Blog on : How solar policy has changed over the years in Karnataka and forebode changes that are expected to come up in the [...]
Our first Enphase system turns 4 Year Old.
A lot of questions still arise in the solar generation system, Whether the system will perform? Will my solar panels work even for a [...]
BESCOM- Customer Interaction Meeting(CIM)
BESCOM has some good news for Bangaloreans! BESCOM in their initiative for addressing the pressing issues of their customers have started monthly meetings at [...]
250 kWp Solar Roof-Top System-Engineering Case Study
Designing a roof-top system is not easy. There are many challenges associated with it. The project that I am going to talk about is an [...]
How to design Solar water Pump
Design A Solar Water Pump Conversion of photons according to our energy needs is one of the great innovations in this 4.5 billion years of [...]
EQ’s Suryacon awards
EQ international's Suryacon conference was conducted in Chennai on 27th February 2019. Suryacon had felicitated the management of the companies contributing towards sustainable living. EcoSoch [...]
Solving sanitation problem with Solar Water Pump at Duruguda
Drinking, washing, cooking, say it for any purpose that’s the water they use. Duruguda, is a small remote village in Rayagada district of Odisha [...]
Echoes of Earth – A musical festival going towards carbon neutral
Echoes of Earth is a one of its kind Ecological and sustainable musical festival to be held this year on Dec 1st and Dec 2nd at Embassy International Riding school nestled among 150 acres of green patch outside Bangalore. EcoSoch Solar is thrilled to be part of this year’s Echoes of Earth team, in lighting up the BigTree stage, one of the three stages at the event, using solar power.
Change that Changed
CHANGE THAT CHANGEDÂ METhose were the days when I had no responsibilities, those were the days when I never experienced hunger, those were the days when [...]
Lightning Arresters
What is Lightning Arrester? When any of us talk about Electricity or related, there is always safety which we are worried about. Especially [...]
How to read a 3 Phase Bi-Directional Meter?
How to read a bidirectional 3Ø meter? Bi-directional meters are used to calculate both export and import of the energy. It is majorly [...]
Energy Conservation
We are in a situation where our day to day consumptions of energy is increasing exponentially. Due to which resources like coal will drain [...]
Requirements from Apartments for Solar Rooftop
Apartment communities are one of the best-suited places for roof-top solar installations for two reasons: The availability of shadow-free area is quite high. The [...]
New BESCOM tariff order for in respect of Multiple/Combined Solar Rooftop Photovoltaic (SRTPV) Installations in a single premises
A new policy has been drafted for buildings with multiple BESCOM meters and wants to go for multiple solar PV installations. This allows for installation [...]
20 Benefits In Going Solar On Our Homes Now
1. Reduce your electricity bill The immediate benefit of it is to drastically reduce your electricity bill to zero or near zero. Solar [...]
How to read a Bidirectional meter?
My colleague always compares Solar PV Rooftop system with the human body, when he is discussing solar energy generation to a person who doesn’t [...]
Letter from Mr Mohan about our workshop
Solar rooftop and compost at home workshop Generating electricity for household needs is a welcome concept and an answer for today’s electricity shortages [...]
Solar Rooftop Home Maintenance : Why & What?
Life of a Solar Power Plant: A life of any system is as good as the life of an individual component. You would [...]
BESCOM approved vendors for Solar Bidirectional Meter
Bengaluru(Bangalore) Electricity Supply COMpany (BESCOM) had approved two vendors for the supply of Bi-Directional meters in BESCOM jurisdiction for solar rooftop's. Whoever is opting for [...]
Calculate your Carbon Foot Print due to Electricity Consumption
We talk a lot about Carbon foot print & Green House Gases (GHG). What are these? Why is it so important to talk about these? Starting [...]
Magnanimous ball of fire, Sun
 The magnanimous ball of fire The brilliance of reactions Sets the light into action The fusion drives our lives We go round n round [...]
BESCOM procedure to Obtain Solar Rooftop System, Bengaluru
Procedure to obtain BESCOM permissions to install Solar Rooftop Power Plant using Grid connection Initial documents needed to begin the procedure: One photo of the [...]
Understanding Electricity
What is Electricity?! Electricity is all around us, we use it in different forms throughout our day to day activities. The LED light above my [...]
Impact on Solar with GST
With the new GST, Solar rooftop will be impacted with an increase of overall cost by at least 5% from the existing cost. What is [...]
Impact of BESCOM tariff hike 2017-18
Much awaited circular for the year from KERC(Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission) is out: KERC has announced the revised electricity tariff for the ESCOM consumers in [...]
New KERC_BESCOM revised Electricity tariff for 2017-18
Category Description Particulars Existing Tariff as per Tariff Order-2016 Particulars Approved as per Tariff Order 2017 Remarks BJ/KJ Fully subsidized by GOK Free [...]
Net metering Vs Gross Metering- Basics
Till recently the policy in Karnataka for some of the consumers had been Gross metering(GM) and some had Net Metering(NM). A recent circular from BESCOM has [...]
Solar Rooftop Power Policy Changes in Karnataka
Giving the residents of Karnataka a chance to self consume the Solar power they installed. KERC came up with few changes in their existing Solar [...]
Wayanad Diary II
With Ranga and myself already on site, waiting for team to come for next interesting project. In-fact it will one of the most challenging projects in [...]
Wayanad Diary
Time for us to leave to Western Ghats,Waynad. Two of us started to Mananthavaady to check the problem with few installations done by group of [...]
Lead Acid Batteries vs Lithium Ion Batteries
Why is energy storage necessary? It’s often suggested to install energy storage systems when we go for off grid type where there is no other [...]
PV SYSTEM INFLUENCE ON POWER FACTOR
 When we see the ratings on AC components like transformers, power is usually rated in KVA. This is called apparent power which is the [...]
Google Project Sunroof
With the world advancing towards automation and innumerable devices making our lives progressively comfortable, the threats posed to our mother nature are being not accounted [...]
Why Solar Panels are installed at certain Angle?
A hundred and fifty million kilometers away from earth, being a nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, sun emits around 3.86×1026 watts of energy. [...]
Types of Solar Panels
 Many a times when a customer tries to go for a solar installation, he asks about panels and their types and their respective lifespans. [...]
A Day to Remember : In Making of 391kW
Not the usual day it was. Very lovely weather. Mesmerizing for people working in Sun. We started to our site having hot tasty breakfast of [...]
All the Best EcoSoch Team
      A team with a vision, a dream for a reason. To Go Green. Every step they put takes them [...]
New Solar rooftop policy for Karnataka (KERC – BESCOM) – 2016 – 2018
KARNATAKA ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION No.9/2, 6th & 7th Floor, Mahalaxmi Chambers, M.G. Road, Bangalore-560 001 Present: Shri. M.K. Shankaralinge Gowda Chairman Shri. H.D. Arun Kumar [...]
Redeveloping Florida’s Remote Southern Coast
Technology is Here to Stay Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus purus nisl, elementum vitae consequat at, tristique ut enim. Sed [...]
Future proofing a modern home
Technology is Here to Stay Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus purus nisl, elementum vitae consequat at, tristique ut enim. Sed [...]
CPRI Certificate on Super Fan’s Air Delivery Capacity
The Central Power Research Institute is an autonomous society under the Ministry of Power, Govt. of India. In their Fan Testing Laboratory, ELECTRIC CEILING FANs are [...]
SuperFans are 5 Star Certified by BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency).
The Government of India set up Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) (Website: http://www.bee-india.nic.in) on 1st March 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, [...]
SuperFans save more money than other energy efficient fans.
A superficial cost comparison may mislead a fan buyer into thinking that ordinary fans are cheaper than SuperFans. A quick product price comparison shows that [...]
Beat the Heat this Summer with Energy Efficient Super Fans
Fans cool us by creating a wind chill effect. The sweat on our skin evaporates more easily, we lose more body heat through convection and we [...]
A bit of background for the prosumers (producers-consumers) of Solar Power
The erstwhile Mysore State established the first major hydro-electric generating station at Shivasamudram as early as 1902 for commercial operation. The longest transmission line, at [...]
Solar Water Pump for Drinking and Sanitation
 Water is the Driving force of all nature.                 [...]
Burn Coal so that Solar can take over later!
Thinking like an environmentalist and as a solar evangelist, I would prefer India to reduce its dependency on coal drastically and switch over to SUN [...]
Solar is cheaper than Coal based energy
Solar and Wind energy sources  had two main issues. They were expensive and were not immediately dispatchable. But at utility scale they are not expensive [...]
What if Light bulb is flat and super thin like a paper? – A peek into future of LED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGJP62eISEA Rohinni, a start up from U.S has developed just that. For more information, visit www.rohinni.com
Oh Sunlit Morning — A Poem by Rabindranth Tagore
(Oh the beautiful Sunlit Morning) Wash me with the springing Light-Rays of yours, and remove the dust which has covered my true self, O the [...]
Sun2Car – Mahindra Reva E20
We at EcoSoch are always proud to own a REVA for our company. We are not only using it for our personal transport but also [...]
Site Survey & Assessment for Solar PV Installations
It’s customary for a PV system integrator to do a Site survey and collect information about local conditions and issues  before any proposal is made. [...]
Assessing Energy Needs for Solar Photo-voltaic System
Once you decide to go for solar installation on your rooftop, you would need to decide the type of solar rooftop PV system that you [...]
Comparing LED’s with other Lights
It was in year 1800, that first electric light was invented by Humphry Davy. It took next century to make a first commercially available incandescent [...]
Solar PV String Inverters Vs Central Inverters
For more details on String inverters and Central Inverters, please visit the earlier post here: http://ecosoch.com/types-of-on-grid-inverters-micro-string-central/ Many-a-times it’s inherently assumed that the bigger the better and [...]
Advantages and Disadvantages of Micro Inverters
 Solar Micro Inverters existed since the advent of the solar PV systems, but then due to high costs associated with manufacturing, it wasn’t popular [...]
Types of Solar On Grid inverters – Micro, String & Central
There are three type of On grid or grid-tie inverters (for details on what is a grid-tie inverter, you can refer to an earlier post [...]
Effect of Temperature on Solar Panel power generation
It’s a common misconception that the solar panels generate more energy with higher temperatures and less energy with lower temperatures. So the assumption is that [...]
Grid-tie inverters – How do they operate?
Inverters take DC power and invert it to AC power so it can be fed into the electric utility company grid. The grid tie inverter [...]
Good news Bangaloreans! Net Metering for solar rooftop is here!
Long awaited solar reforms in BESCOM have come! The Government of Karnataka has announced the Solar policy 2014-21, grid  connected solar rooftop system under net-metering basis [...]
What is a on-grid solar system?
Electricity generated by a Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) system can be directly consumed by the load itself or can be  stored in a battery bank [...]
Connecting Solar Cells in Series
The image shows India's first (19.04.1975) experimental indigenous satellite, covered in solar panels. A set of solar panels like this is called an array. Each [...]
BLDC: The secret of the SuperFan
The difference between ordinary fans and superfans is the motor. Motors work on the principle that like magnetic poles repel. The fan blades are attached [...]
It’s only a wire! Or is it?
Our voltage sources and our electrical loads are separated by some finite distance. And therein lies a tale! It is necessary to conduct the electric [...]
What is “Maximum Power”?
Let's take an energy source like a battery or a PV module. When you draw no current from it, the voltage at it's terminals is [...]
Charge Controllers protect our batteries.
Our batteries are expensive components of our off-grid solar installations. So it is a good idea to protect them from over-charging and deep discharge. To [...]
Why are our solar panels at an angle to the floor?
Take a walk up to any terrace and look at the solar panels. They look like slides, don't they? Why ever is that? You would [...]
How do oceans absorb carbon dioxide? Scientists find clues.
Oceans absorb one third to more than half the carbon dioxide that humans put into the atmosphere. Oceans hold 50 times more carbon dioxide than [...]
How many units of electricity can we take from sunlight?
Harsha sent me an urgent email this morning. He said, "It might be true that sun can give 5 units/m2/day. But because the efficiency of [...]
How many units of electricity does the sun give us?
The answer to this question depends on where you live and how much space you have. We know that 1 unit of electricity is 1 [...]
The Ocean Planet
71% of the earth is covered by water of which 6% is ice. Therefore absorption of solar energy and evapo-transpiration of water at the earth's [...]
Batteries for Solar Panels
We need Deep Cycle Batteries for Solar Panels. Deep cycle batteries can withstand a deep discharge. Your car starter battery may survive a 100 deep [...]
Rechargeable Batteries: C-Rating
If you follow this link: http://www.amco.co.in/products.php?id=9 , you can see how a battery's weight increases with it's Ah rating. You need bigger batteries to store more electric [...]
Rechargeable Batteries: Overcharging, Deep Discharging
If you go to their online store, you can see the Ah or Storage Capacity of a range of Exide Lead Acid Inverter batteries. With [...]
Nice to know: Rechargeable batteries
Any standalone off-grid solar system needs a Rechargeable Battery. Nearly everyone I can think of, is used to the idea of emergency lights and cell [...]
eWaste Recycling in Bangalore, India
What happens to our old cellphones and laptops, used batteries and discarded lights and other appliances? Sometimes we trade in the old for new. Many retailers [...]
Good to know: LED Lamps
Trends: Industry predictions are that human society will move away from incandescent light bulbs to LED lamps in about a decade or two. People like smaller electricity [...]
Embodied Energy and LED Lights
The first step that the Energy Conscious people have to take, is to assess the effectiveness of energy saving devices and materials. What is embodied [...]
Energy Losses and Energy Efficiency
Thermodynamics teaches us that energy is neither created nor destroyed, but it can be converted from one form to another. It also teaches us that [...]
Sustainability is in the Air!
Today we had a great opportunity to speak with a group of Senior Citizens from Dignity Foundation, Vidyaranyapura, Bangalore, and demonstrate to them Composting at [...]
The crisis of unsustainability
Energy from the sun is our Solar Capital. Energy we take from the earth (Oil, coal, wind, water etc...) we call the Earth Capital. If [...]
Origin of the name : EcoSoch
Eco comes from the Greek word oikos meaning "house, dwelling place, habitation". The German zoologist Ernst Haeckel coined the word Okologie. Logia refers to "study of". In 1873, Haeckel [...]
Energy Needs and World Population
There are 7 billion+ humans on earth to feed and meet the energy requirements of. This number is growing exponentially. It means that we are [...]
When will oil run out? | Institution of Mechanical Engineers
On the one hand we don't like diesel and petrol price hikes. We say that it will cripple our economy. On the other, we expect [...]
Solar Residential Rooftop Potential in India
It's estimated that in India we have 330 million houses, out of which number of houses with proper roofs of size 100 to 300 sqft [...]
Renewable Energy Ministry aims at four solar power plants of 1,000 Mw each
Renewable Energy Ministry aims at four solar power plants of 1,000 Mw each http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/renewable-energy-ministry-aims-at-four-solar-power-plants-of-1000-mw-each/articleshow/36119661.cms
Online Electricity Bill Calculator – For all states in India | Bijli Bachao
Understand your electrcity bill and see where you can save on it. Using energy efficient devices and habits, you can slash your electricity bill by [...]
Grow plants in used coffee powder
Bangloreans love drinking filter coffee. Save the used coffee powder and use it to germinate seeds. Or add it to your soil as a fertiliser. [...]
More Affordable Solar Power – Renewable Energy – MOTHER EARTH NEWS
 http://www.motherearthnews.com/renewable-energy/solar-power-zm0z12aszphe.aspx#axzz32lrUwzhu
Our Ecosoch Office.
This place looks so pretty. If you are in the sahakarnagar area, near GKVK, walk in and take a look around.  It has a nice [...]
Nice to know: Silicon Cells
The silicon cells manufactured from one ton of sand can produce as much electricity as burning 500,000 tons of coal. Silicon is the second most [...]